Means for obtaining emission impulses of constant width and amplitude in a target detector



July 4, 1950 H. GUTTON 2,513,478

MEANS FOR ORTAININOr EMISSION INPULsEs OF CONSTANT WIDTH AND AMPLITUDE IN A TARGET DETECTOR Filed May 2, 1947 /m/enor Patented July 4, 1950 miran ifsrams Ar 'Fics ,Appli-cation Manzi. 1947,f,seria1,N0., 745,539 In-:France May 2,1, 1941 7section. lfirubiie1-Lawsso, August s, `1946 'ffI-IPatent-expires May215f11961 7'fherpresent invention-is f relating -fto Lat-:system vfor e measuring distances 'by `Imezafris of I echoes.

Systemsfare already:knownortmeasuring distancesbetvveen one-given Jpoini'rand anpobsta'cle.

Whereinfai transmitter installed-atE thegiven-:poirit of which is controlle'dt-byethe-f-echo. f-lThe 'ldistance isthen'directly` read'onthe screenzf the `osc'illograph tube.

The vdraii/-b-ack o'f this-.System*is to "requireila very"- high stabilityofthe scanningf'voltagesr actuallyfthe f error in 'thee "readings -is^0f *the rsaine order 'as the variations *of-the -simplyvoltage Furthermore, the modifications-in "thefcoursef time of :"the capacities, "valves "and resistors 'which are used for obtaining/.the scanningrpermits only kwith Adiflicultynf 'ensuringwt-he Astability of the calibration of the oscillograph tube in course of time.

*.Moreoven the .precisionin the, reading on the screen .of mthe osoillograph '.tube isrgsubjected' `to errors of parallax through theg'glass of Lthe' '.biilb.'y as Well as to those which originate. from 4thefdefects of the oscillograph tube or from the sharpness of definition of the tracing of the diagram. Lastly, the device mustbe calibrated afresh after icome the enumerated.disadvantagesfzand (determine the distance from the obstacle Withean inl"crease d precision.

VThe principlerofthe invention consists. instead of P=translating the time :necessary for theeecho :to return vinto -fan -elongatiom fin translating it into a frequency: the measurement:- o'whiohzmay beffobtained: by a known `insimum'ent with aegreat ZeCiaims. (Cl. E43-13) mission of every ,consecutive tptp is Ireleasell by the `return ofthe precedingpigp which issuitably amplified, the n appropriate rarrangements lbemgvmade for-giving back to "the r"sarneffthe shape it :possessedatthe time of -the :transmission. Witnrthis -Ametho d,- the -spacingfofv-t-he-rpips isa direct -ffzunction vof the `distancefrom-the obstacle; by measuring'. :their ,frequenoynonefwill determine thezdistance.

The". inventioni will lbe more readily .understood with #reference `to :the accompanying 'drawings infwhic-h:

Fig. i 1 :shows a `device .according to the'inven" tion, wherein the oscillator ils-wa zmagrietro` #and SFigure' .f21isy a :diagram Vofathe impulses appearvAin-gnat the anodeszof theamplifiers-andfatt1in Jdu'ctances inserted'inthe anoderacircuits. vl'Ihe system: comprises-atransmitter :of ar'very lhighfffr'equeney consisting .of lawvalve oscillator. e. g. a magnetron l functioning in a magnetic field H andfcoupledztoa directveaerial'. @The -a-no'de of "the-magnetron: is .connected to .the 'hligh'tensionfsource Veilel'l throughwan indicating 4instrument The internal space -of".the magnetron is connec'ted'in series With-thelinternal space offthe yvalve .4 controlling the'im- I.tn-uses, the plate of which "is fsuppliedby -l-'I-IT 'through a resistor R1 which shunts the internal spa'ceof the-magnetron The time vconstantrevsulting from `the resistor 'Rif-and-from-"the carpacity C1 in dotted 1 lines, existing @betweenv the anode of the control valve and the cathode =of the oscillating tubenon the one hand, and the ground on the otherymust remain negligible with respect to the duration of the pip. This Acondition4 limits the .value of R1. The grid of the valve-Il is broughtto a negativepotential by means of aspositivexbias -l-'TP-,appliedeto'the cathode .of the valve. The valve-4 is-then-"normally in such a condition that it prevents the vmagnetron frornosc'illating. Itis only When;a sufficiently strong impulse is 2produced across the terminals of resistorf'Re 'that the Kinternal yspace v-.of valve #becomes permeable andthe magnetronl starts. oscillating. "The aerial"2 ra- 'Qdiates then ai high frequency pip, ,the exterior enyelopeof Whichpfollowsthe shape of the"im pulse brought on to the resistorRz.

In orderto control thevtransmission ofwthe pipsiby the echo returnedof the same'pips; 'there 'iis varranged a receiving aer-ialf which feeds Afito Vva-high7 frequency-f-ampliiierifii. Thedesign -of this amplifier proceeds V fromA rcurrentf-teol'anique; flthe 2on1yf-condition* iti' 'has to.L Asubmit :tollis Eto i havera fsuicieritly wideepassingibaird'forfletting through without deformation the signal on a suiliciently high carrier frequency which is transmitted by the oscillator. :For instance, with a signal of 3 micro-seconds duration, the passing band must be at least 2,000 kilocycles.

At the outlet of the amplifler 6, the signal is led I equal to the mean width of the pip, and also that to the grid circuit of a detector 1 which will be for instance a triode arranged for detecting through the anode characteristic curve. The

cathode of the valve 'l is positively biassed in a suitable manner by the source -l-TPthrough` a'y f rectiner 8 shunted by a resistor 9v the role of which will be described hereafter.

The anode circuit of valve 'l includes afresistory R, a condenser C and a damped self-inductance S1, which is capable of oscillating freelyl on al natural frequency which is near to the width -of rthe jwidth. of thepositive portion of the pip is v'only a function ofthe natural frequency of the self-inductanceo'n the other hand, it depends verylittle yo r 1 t l'1e amplitude of the initial signal. Thevvv positiveportion above the line AB of .Figure 2 ofthe signal across the terminals of the self-inductance S1, being used for exciting the stage |0, the"'s'am process is repeated, and there the pip. The condenser C which is of small value, i

is intended to eliminate the high-frequency.

The signal collected across the terminals of the self-inductance S1 is forwarded through the condenser Cs and the resistor R3 to the grid of an amplifier stage l0, the cathode of which is positively biassed by +TP far enough for blocking it. The positive portion of the signal unbiasses the valve for a short moment. There is disposed a `damped self-inductance S2, similar to self inductance S1, in the anode circuit.

The stage l0 could Ibe followed by a certain number of similar stages, which number ought to be suflicient for the positive position of the signal at the output to be strong enough for exciting at least on to zero potential the grid of the valve 4 controlling the impulses.

In the example described, it was thought sunlcient to have -one single stage I0, the output voltage of which is transmitted through condenser C2 across the terminals of the resistor R2 in the grid circuit of the valve controlling the impulses.

The stages Tand I0 serve to correct the form and amplitude of the signals received in such manner that every impulse brought on to R2 releases the sending out through oscillator l of a `pip having a duration and an amplitude which are equal to those of the preceding pip. :For a better understanding of this correcting mechanism, one will have to refer to Figure 2 that shows in the top part (a) thereof, a form of the signal brought on to the valve 1, drawn against time. This signal, in turn appearing as a-potential v vin accordance with the fundamental laws of induction, produces in the self-inductance Aa shock that is the cause of free oscillations ofthe same self-inductance, the curve of which oscillations is represented in the bottom part (b) of Figure 2. For this reason, the lower half of Figure -2 shows twohalf impulses corresponding tothe transmitted pip. The hatched positive portion of the impulse is also amplified by tube Ill and the terminals of inductance S2 yield a further positive impulse which still lags by an amount 0, behind the hatched impulse. This processcontinues, and the successive leveling enables the obtaining of a pip having a constant amplitude and width. The shape of thepipe may be rcorrected by adjusting the value of the natural frequency Aof the self-inductance S1. It is advantageous that this natural frequency should be as high as possible with as great an inductance is obtained, across the terminals of Sz, a signal thepositive portion of which also lags by 01 with respect tothe inlet signal of the stage l0, and the amplitude of which is corrected by the amplification so as to act on the grid of the valve 4 in a suitable manner.

1 The detecting and amplifying stages thus delay the signal by a :constant time equal to m91, Where 01 is a timel approximately'equal to half the duration ofthe initial pip and n is the number of the self-inductance S1, Sz. and. of the eventual similar, further self-inductan :e s y in the event when-several amplifying stages are used.

f The system works in the following manner:4

rSupposingapip transmitted by aerial 2, and nov echo resulting, aerial 5 receives immediately the direct wave yof the transmitter through the shorter path.; This signal is amplified by 6, derr tected by 1 and amplified by I0. It comes backto the valve 4 after a constant time 4m91. Should this signal control theA transmission of a new pip, one would obtairia recurrence of signals at the frequence Itis' therefore necessary to do away with it by blocking at the ltime ofthe transmission of the pip :one'of the-valves of the receiver, say Vthe detecting valve. l To this end, onemay take off a part vof thevoltageon resistor `R2 by means of the tappingY I0 and bring it-through the lead Il on to the cathode of the detectingvalve 1. The rectier 8 -i s provided .in-order that the positive portion of thetapped voltage should act alone on the 4cathode and lcreate the bias necessary for the blocking. Inthis manner, if no echo takes place, the pip isI not renewed.

.On the contrary, should there occur an echo causedfby an obstacle at a. distance D, the signal transmitted is received at 5` after a time v thenamplied and detected 4with adelay of l11.61, and finallytransmitted again bythe transmitter after a time v'H4-"71,191, l

The frequency W may be measured by' means of a precise frequency meter 'l2` coupled for instance with the self-linduct'ance S1,rv "vhichhas no needto be'described in detail; 7 It will be remarked that the ex'istenceoffthe delay ni isV important for the invention: 'ifthis delay were'nil, the signal duefto the echo'would not actually'have time to pass through before the receiver wo'uld'beblocked bylthek impulse conjtrolling the emission. lOn the other hand,.thisv delayimust not be too importantso that lmh could be neglected in comparison with and it might be admitted that the frequency meter indicates that is, a quantity permitting of determining the distance D in an inequivocal manner. Experience shows that it is practically possible to maintain mh at a very low value.

In the event that there would be no obstacle creating an echo, it is necessary that from time to time a watch pip for testing the eventual obstacles should be sent from the transmitter. To this end, there may be arranged in the inlet circuit of the receiver a device that transmits watch pips at a very low frequency. One may dispose for instance in the grid circuit of the valve 1 a generator i3, operating at 50 periods per second for instance, in series with a switch lli, the whole being shunted by a group formed by condenser and resistor l5.

In the absence of an echo, the switch I4 is closed, and the transmitter sends only 50 pips per second, the repetition of each of these pips being suppressed in the intervals between pips by the device 8, 9, I0, Il. When an echo is detected, which is recognized either by the increase of current of the ammeter 3, or by the working of a suitable indicator which acts upon a change in the current, the watch signal is suppressed by the opening of switch I4 and the frequency is measured by means of the frequency meter I2. The circuit l5 serves then to restore the grid circuit of the valve 1.

What I claim is:

1. In a system for electromagnetic target location which includes means for transmitting pips and receiving the echo of said pips, and wherein the pips are released by echo signals, the distance to said target being measured by the frequency of the received echoes, a device for imparting constant amplitude and width to said pips, said device comprising means connected to said receiving means for detecting said echoes, a winding connected to said detecting means and tuned to a frequency corresponding to a period equal to the duration of said pips, a resistance shunting said winding, a plurality of amplifying relay tubes connected in succession, the grid of the first tube being connected to said winding and the grid circuit of each of the other tubes being connected to the plate circuit of the preceding tube through a winding shunted by a resistance and tuned also to the duration of said pips, and means for applying to said transmitting means the potential appearing in the winding associated with the last of said tubes.

2. In a system for electromagnetic target location which includes a magnetron for transmitting pips and a receiver for the echo of said pips, and wherein the pips are released by echo signals, a device for imparting constant amplitude and width to said pips, said device comprising a tube for detecting said echoes having a grid connected to said receiver, a winding connected to the anode circuit of said tube and tuned to a frequency corresponding to a period equal to the duration of said pips, a resistance shunting said winding, an amplifying relay tube having a grid connected to said winding through a capacity, a winding connected to the anode' of said relay tube and tuned also to the duration of said. pips, a resistance shunting said last-mentioned winding, a further amplifying relay tube having a grid connected to said last-mentioned winding through a capacity and an anode connected to the cathode of said magnetron, and means for applying to the cathodes of said detecting and amplifying relay tubes a positive polarity relatively to the grids thereof.

HENRI GUITON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,945,952 Nicolson Feb. 6, 1934 2,333,688 Shephard Nov. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 302,602 Great Britain lVIay 30, 1929 

